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Topic: Structure and Composition of The Atmosphere: Paper Code: GGY HC - 2026 Part-I Group - A: Climatology

The document discusses the structure and composition of the atmosphere, detailing its division into homosphere and heterosphere based on chemical composition. It describes the layers of the homosphere, including the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere, along with their characteristics and significance. Additionally, it outlines the composition of atmospheric gases, highlighting the major gases and their respective volumes in dry air.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
22 views5 pages

Topic: Structure and Composition of The Atmosphere: Paper Code: GGY HC - 2026 Part-I Group - A: Climatology

The document discusses the structure and composition of the atmosphere, detailing its division into homosphere and heterosphere based on chemical composition. It describes the layers of the homosphere, including the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere, along with their characteristics and significance. Additionally, it outlines the composition of atmospheric gases, highlighting the major gases and their respective volumes in dry air.

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anees14143
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Paper code: GGY HC – 2026

Part- I
Group- A: Climatology

Topic: Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere

Structure of Atmosphere
Structure means the arrangement of different part into one. In another words, it is the
skeleton or organization or anatomy of a whole by looking at the relationships with its parts.
According to this background, the study of different parts of the atmosphere and the relationship
with its parts is said to be the structure of the atmosphere. Vertically, the atmosphere is divided
into different layers/ parts. Therefore, the study of different layers is known as structure of
atmosphere. Based on chemical composition, the atmosphere is classified into two. They are
homosphere and heterosphere.

A) Homosphere: Homosphere is that part of atmosphere where the chemical composition of


the air is uniform or similar. It is the lowest layer in terms of chemical composition. It
extends from the earth’s/ ocean surface to about 85 km. The density of the air changes very
rapidly with increasing altitude but the proportion of the major gases found there remain
alike throughout this layer with the exception of water vapour, pollutants, ozone and some
trace/ very minor gases. On the basis of the changes in temperature, the atmosphere is
divided into five layers out of them, three lower layers falls under homosphere (i.e. within
85 km of altitude). They are troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere.

1) Troposphere: It is the lowest and densest layer of the atmosphere. It extends till a height of
about 8 km over pole but over equator, it is 18 km. About 80 percent of the total mass of the
atmosphere lays in this layer. With increase in height, the temperature keeps on declining till
the limit of this layer. On an average, the decrease in temperature with height is 60Celsius
par km. The upper boundary is known as troposphere laying between 8 and 18 km. At this
level, the average temperature reaches to minus 500 to minus 600 Celsius (Figure 8). Water
vapour is found in this layer in abundance and about 99 percent of the total atmospheric
water vapour is concentrated here but wide variation is seen in terms of height and
longitudes. Vapour plays very vital role in regulating the temperature of the earth by
creating greenhouse effect. All weather phenomena are occurring in this layer only.
Troposphere is the home of all types of clouds, atmospheric turbulence and mixing of the
air. Both horizontal and vertical mixing is quite prominent here. In fact, the term
troposphere is derived from the Greek word ‘tropos’ means ‘turn’. Sphere is signifying
‘ball’ or a structure which is round in shape attaining a three-dimensional space. Therefore,
the troposphere is a three-dimensional object with turning or mixing characteristics. Every
sort of living life is confined to the biosphere which include land water and air. The upper
limit of troposphere is tropopause which is a transition zone another upper layer known as
stratosphere.

Fig: Different Layers of Atmosphere


2) Stratosphere: Stratosphere is the upward second layer as well as middle layer of the
homosphere. It starts from tropopause to approximate height of 50 km. The temperature at
the tropopause remains almost constant till the height of 20 km. After that, it starts
increasing and continue the trend till the height of 50 km (Figure 8). At this level, the
estimated temperature is about minus 100 to minus 150 Celsius. Though the temperature is
on rise, but there is no atmospheric turbulence. This layer is completely free from clouds
and other weather conditions. That is why, it has an advantage for flying long-distance
supersonic jets/aeroplanes through this layer. The increase in temperature in this layer is
caused by absorption of solar radiation by ozone (O3). Ozone is abundant in this layer and
its 90 percent is concentrated (found between 15 km to 50 km) in this layer only. The upper
limit is stratopause which is a very narrow strip of transition zone beyond which mesosphere
is found.
Stratosphere is also termed as ozonosphere, a layer made up of ozone. This layer
protects the living world of the planet from the harmful effects ultra-violet rays. The ozone
depletion and hole over Antarctic was discovered in 1985. Since then, we have observed
that this layer has reached to a dangerous level of depletion of ozone. The main ozone
depleting substances are received from the release of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), hydro-
chlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs) and carbon tetrachloride. When the molecules of chlorine
atom come into contact with ozone (O3), it turns O3 into O2 which is normal oxygen. One
chlorine atom can destroy more than a lakh atoms of ozone. Therefore, the chain of
depletion is very serious. O3 turned into O2, an ordinary oxygen molecule is not capable to
absorbing ultra-violet rays.

3) Mesosphere: Mesosphere is the third but the upper-most layer of the homosphere. After this
layer, heterosphere starts. The literal meaning of mesosphere is the middle sphere. It is
separated by tropopause below from troposphere and mesopause on the top from
thermosphere. It is extended from 50 km to 85 km from the earth’s surface. The air pressure
is very low. This layer is characterised by decreasing temperature and the coldest/ lowest
atmospheric temperature is recorded in this layer. The lowest temperature estimated near the
mesosphere is around minus 1300Celsius. It is colder that the lowest temperature recorded
over Antarctic. Between 75 to 85 km from the earth, noctilucent clouds are normal affairs in
the summer nights between 500 to 700 north and south latitudes. Its literal meaning is night
shining. It is a deep twilight seen only when the sun is on horizon but the sunlight is still
falling at that height. The seen clouds are made up of ice crystals. Meteoric dust particles
work like nuclei for ice crystallization which are falling as well as produced due to burning
of meteor caused by friction.

B) Heterosphere: The atmosphere laying beyond the homosphere is termed as heterosphere.


The term itself is self-explanatory and it is used for that part of atmosphere where the air is
not uniform. In this part of atmosphere, the air is rare and the molecules are wide apart.
Relatively heavier gas molecules are concentrated in the lower part whereas the lighter are
forced to be above. Beyond 85 km height, the composition of the atmosphere with
increasing altitude vary significantly. The mixing of the gases are not possible as the
turbulence is not happening there. Different layers of prominently different gases are
nitrogen layer, oxygen layer, helium layer and hydrogen layer are differentiated. However,
the heterosphere, is divided into two main spheres – thermosphere and exosphere.

4) Thermosphere: This sphere extends from mesopouse i.e., 85 km to about 650 km from
earth. The temperature is on rise in this layer due to absorption of solar radiation by small
amount of oxygen molecules present. It is highly dependent upon the solar activities. The
temperature reaches beyond 12000C at an altitude of about 350 km but by 650 km it may
even rise to 20000C. This much high temperature is primarily defined by average speed
with which molecules are moving. Because of this, the temperature may be high. The
effectiveness of this temperature is not that great. Its exposure to astronaut, if they are
coming out from the capsule, is not affecting at all.

5) Exosphere: Exo means external. Therefore, exosphere the external or the outer most layer
of the atmosphere. Its lower boundary starts from the thermopause (650 km) to the limit
from where the void space begins. This limit is estimated to be about 10000 km. This much
distance is little less than the diameter of the earth. It is really a very big size of the limit of
the atmosphere. In exosphere, very light gases are traced and they are hydrogen and helium.
Their molecules are spaced very widely. Beyond the upper limit of exosphere, the space is
considered to be void.

Composition of the Atmosphere


The envelope of atmosphere around the earth, a mechanical mixtures of numerous gases
and other substances are very important to all living organisms of the planet. The four major
gases – nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide together constitute 99.99% of the total
volume of dry air. The maximum concentration is of nitrogen with more than 78 percent while
the oxygen is little less than 21 percent.

Table 1: Composition of atmospheric Gases


Groups Gases Volume % of dry air
Major Gases 1. Nitrogen 78.084
2. Oxygen 20.9476
3. Argon 0.934
4. *CO2 0.04
Minor Gases 5. *Methane 0.002
(* are also variable gases) 6. Neon 0.001818
7. Helium 0.000524
8. Krypton 0.000114
9. Hydrogen 0.00005
10. Xenon 0.0000087
11. *Ozone 0.00006
Variable Gasses 12. Water vapour Variable amount
(CO2, methane and ozone gases are also 13. Dust particles Variable amount
variable) 14. Aerosols Variable amount

*****

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